The film, which has become the highest-grossing Hindi movie in India, drew criticism soon after its release over a line of dialogue that was widely seen as offensive and demeaning toward the Baloch people. The backlash prompted protests, legal notices, and formal complaints, particularly from the Baloch Makrani community in Gujarat.
Community leaders argued that the dialogue crossed the line from fiction into harmful stereotyping, damaging the dignity and reputation of an entire group. Legal petitions were filed against the actor, the dialogue writer, and the director, calling for accountability and corrective action.
According to Indian media reports, the issue reached the attention of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which later issued directives to the film’s distributors. As a result, cinemas across India were instructed to replace the digital copy of the film with an edited version in which the disputed word was muted and a dialogue adjusted.
While hearing related petitions, the Gujarat High Court asked petitioners to clearly explain how the dialogue amounted to defamation. At the same time, lawyers representing the community demanded a public apology and the removal of all objectionable references from trailers and promotional material as well.
Despite the controversy, Dhurandhar continues its remarkable box-office run, earning approximately INR 7.4 billion in under a month. The film has overtaken previous records and shows no sign of slowing down.
Observers note that the success of Dhurandhar, much like earlier hits, reflects a broader trend in Bollywood where spectacle driven storytelling and strong nationalist themes often translate into commercial success, even as questions about sensitivity and social responsibility follow closely behind.
